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The Kurgan
The Kurgan is a fictional character from the first Highlander film, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown. He is an Immortal and the main antagonist to the character Connor MacLeod in Highlander, and the latter's last opponent in the Gathering. The Kurgan's life story is fleshed out in several Highlander spin-offs in various media. The Kurgan was originally called the Knight in the first draft of the original movie and was a more cold blooded killer than a savage. Clancy Brown nearly turned down the role of Kurgan, concerned that his allergy to makeup would prevent him from wearing the prosthetics required late in the film. Personal History The Kurgan's true name was never stated. He was born in what is now Russia on the border of the Caspian Sea. Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez remarks that his tribe was infamous for their cruelty, and were known to "toss children into pits full of starved dogs, and watch them fight for the meat" for their amusement. He suffered his first death around the year 970BC when his father crushed his head with a rock. He later woke up after his death and became Immortal. the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him. he then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans between India and the Mediterranean. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who revealed to him his true nature, and who became the only person who could be labeled as his friend until he beheaded him. The Kurgan then took his mentors scimitar as his own sword. 615 BC: Mesopotamia, after beheading an Immortal, he felt the presence of several others: Kronos, Silas and Caspian. The three horsemen have heard of this unscrupulous and great powered warrior. They invited him to be part of their death squad. He refused, and was beaten to death, but not decapitated. Kronos wanted to ridicule him. In the year 1536 the Kurgan faces off with an Immortal known as the Mongal after a battle in which they were the only two men standing. The Kurgan defeats the Immortal and takes his head. In search of further victims, his travels lead to Scotland, where becomes aware of a pre-immortal Conner MacLeod. He allies with Clan Fraser, an enemy of the MacLeods- on the condition that no one is to go after Conner save for him. Conner is left confused as the Frasers ignore him. At the same time, the Kurgan spots him (remarking "Now for the Boy") and charges towards him. Before Connor could even strike, he was run through by the Kurgan's broadsword. However, Connor's cousins Angus and Dougal (along with other members of his clan) beat back the Kurgan, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming: "Another time, MacLeod!!" The Kurgan would spend six more years searching for his intended prey. Eventually, he discovered MacLeod's tracks in Glencoe, and easily traced the route to the young Immortal's home. Smashing down the door, however, the Kurgan discovered an unexpected surprise in the form of his adversary, Ramírez. The former Egyptian-turned-Spanish metallurgist had gotten wind of Kurgan's intentions, and had already begun training 'The Highlander' in prepperation of their next battle. The Kurgan charged the Spaniard, but made a near-fatal miscalculation when he raised his sword for a savage overhead strike... Ramírez responded with a lightning-quick counter-attack that passed straight under the Kurgan's guard, slicing his throat wide open, leaving him scarred and permanently damaging his voice. Flying into a berserker-like fury, the Kurgan began pummeling Ramírez and anything within reach with a savage flurry of quick slashes. Within seconds, the entire building began to crumble and break apart around the two combatants. In the chaos, the Kurgan finally cornered his enemy, forcing Ramírez up a broken flight of stairs. Trapping his blade when the Spaniard thrust into him, and impaling him in return. Heather MacLeod, having been present the horrific ordeal, watched helplessly as the Kurgan took Ramirez's head and Quickening. As a final act of spite, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. Between the year 1611 and 1619, The Kurgan settled in Italy. In 1686, the Kurgan had a custom made broadsword constructed for him. The blade could be easily disassembled and hidden in a case. In the 1700's, He traveled to North Africa, where he encountered Sunda Kastagir The Kurgan and Connor MacLeod would meet again in 1985, in New York City, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was going by the alias "Victor Kruger." The Kurgan began in New Jersey, tracking down immortal Osta Vasilek and taking his head. Two days later, he heard the news of Iman Fasil's death in Madison Square Garden (over the radio as he drove). Suspecting the work of the Highlander, the Kurgan proceeded immediately to Manhattan, checking into the first fleabag motel he found. He went on to defeated Yung Dol Kim, as well as Connor's friend Sunda Kastagir, before he deemed himself ready to face his ultimate foe. However, when he battled Kastagir in an alley, it was witnessed by spectator who would later give his description to the police As a "disguise," the Kurgan shaved his head except for a cheap warriors' braid, then adorned the scar on his neck with crude piercings. He then appeared before Connor on holy ground, taunting the Highlander mercilessly. When the revelation that he had raped Heather came to light, Conner became outraged and came close to attacking him on the spot. Before leaving, Conner made clear that there would be a reckoning for the Kurgan's deeds. In and effort to gain an edge by throwing Connor's concentration off, the Kurgan kidnapped MacLeod's girlfriend, forensic expert Brenda Wyatt, and raced all the way to the abandoned Silvercup building in a wild ride - driving down the wrong side of the highway, playing chicken and running over pedestrians. All the while gleefully singing the theme from "New York, New York." Connor would return to his loft to find a message left for him by the Kurgan. It was effectively a final challenge, with the added threat that Connor didn't arrive soon, he would torture Brenda to keep himself amused. MacLeod followed them to the site, where he and the Kurgan faced each other in deadly combat, with Brenda's life at stake. Seemingly wild with excitement, the Kurgan destroyed everything in his path in a flurry of sparks and flame. Then, without warning, the two warriors crashed through a skylight and landed inside the derelict building. The Kurgan was the first to recover, batting MacLeod's sword away and readying his blade for the final strike. Brenda came up from behind, bashing the Kurgan over the head with a pipe. This distraction gave Connor the time needed to recover his sword and gather his composure. MacLeod's calmness, maturity, and skill all proved to be superior to the Kurgan's brute strength and rage. Conner MacLeod ended up beheading his long time foe- his accumulated essence passing to the Highlander, the winner of the Prize. Novelization The novelization of the film by Garry Kilworth expands on the Kurgan's early life. The Kurgan's first death occurred in 970 BC, when his drunken father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him. he then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who revealed to him his true nature, and who became the only person who could be labeled as his friend until he beheaded him while he slept and took his sword as his own. During the intervening centuries, the Kurgan took an incalculable number of Immortal heads. Circa 410 AD, the Kurgan joined the Vandals, Goths, and Visigoths in attacking Rome and other Roman settlements, also fighting with the Goths against the Huns. He would then later ally himself with the Huns directly, fighting along Attila, around the year 453. From the fifth to thirteenth centuries, the Kurgan would spread terror alongside the Tartars of the Gobi and ancient Turkey, as well as with Viking raiders and the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan. Highlander: Way of the Sword Highlander: Way of the Sword, published by Dynamite Entertainment, further expands on the Kurgan's life and gives him more encounters with Connor. In the year 476 BC, allying himself with the Persians as part of a special fighting unit, the Kurgan took part in the Battle of Plataea in ancient Greece. During the battle, he faced off with a Spartan warrior who wielded a one of a kind Katana made by the legendary master sword-smith Masamune. The blade, being centuries ahead of its time, was strong enough to shatter the Kurgan's blade. He escaped by falling down a cliff, and was borne away by the flow of the battle. From this experience, the Kurgan learnt the value of steel and a well-crafted blade. The Spartan warrior who fought in the battle was revealed to be fellow Immortal Tak Ne, later known as Ramirez. The Kurgan would also encounter him in Babylonia and ancient China before their final confrontation in Scotland. The Kurgan would join the naval forces of Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1804, and while serving aboard one ship, would run into Connor MacLeod serving aboard the H.M.S. Victory under Admiral Nelson. MacLeod was able to fatally stab the Kurgan, but before he could behead him, a mainmast fell, and the two were separated. Moreover, MacLeod’s weapon became lodged in the Kurgan’s body. The ship sank, taking the Kurgan to the sea’s bottom, where he revived and claimed the Masamune katana as his own. After these events, the Kurgan would return to his native Russia, pillaging alongside the Cossacks near the end of the nineteenth century. During the First World War, in 1918 Galluzo, Italy, the Kurgan hired two gypsy women, Natasha and Stasya, to lure Francesco, an Immortal monk, off of holy ground with the promise of sexual favors. Once the monk was off holy ground, the Kurgan challenged him, and quickly took the head of the unarmed Francesco. Afterwards, he had his way with the two women. While the Kurgan slept, Stasya managed to steal MacLeod's Masamune katana in payment for services rendered, but left the Kurgan his broadsword. During the 1960s, the Kurgan entered into an unholy partnership with the government of the Soviet Union to create a genetically-engineered army of mortal super-soldiers purportedly loyal to the U.S.S.R., but in fact created to aid the Kurgan in his quest for "The Prize" – men possessing greatly-slowed metabolism and aging, as well as superior fighting and swordsmanship abilities. The Kurgan and these soldiers would confront Connor MacLeod and a group of other fellow Immortals in the year 1964, with the Kurgan himself gravely (yet temporarily) wounded during the battle, allowing Connor and the others to escape with their lives. These devoted followers of the Kurgan would continue to remain active for decades, even following his death in New York City in 1985, seeking to destroy MacLeod for his actions in the first Highlander film. The Kurgan's influence would continue to be felt in the world for some time to come – Connor MacLeod's Quickening of his enemy turned out to be a Dark Quickening, resulting in the deaths of several innocent Immortals at Connor's hands in early 1987. Connor's clansman Duncan MacLeod would aid in purging the Kurgan's last influences from his cousin's tortured psyche. Personality Kurgan was a savage in every sense of the word. Everything to him was something to be used or destroyed in order to reach his goals. His thuggery was matched only by the sadistic amusement he employed against his opponents. He particularly enjoyed inciting fear and panic, as exhibited in the Quickening he took from Kastagir - he appears to somehow suspend the quickening power while attracting a small crowd, then deliberately unleashing the destructive effect around the crowd like a bomb. While he respected the rules of holy ground, he was not above random acts of desecration - he would snuff out remembrance candles, and taunt priests and nuns. He completely disregarded the immortal custom of keeping their battles secret, often attacking Immortals and their mortal friends simultaneously. Though determined to kill Mccloud and take the prize for himself, Kurgan seemed to enjoy the battle rather than the victories. Even when defeated by Connor he smiles before losing his head. Fighting Style Kurgan fought with am emphasis on strength and brute striking power, usually attempting to end the fight before it began with a single surprise attack. He would stalk his opponents methodically until he was ready. Then he would attack without even so much as a challenge. He used a special two-handed broadsword, which he eventually replaced with a detailed replica that could be disassembled and packed away as needed. Ironically, as the Kurgan reassembles his sword in the hotel, the sequence is inter-cut with a series of scenes showing the Kurgan performing impressive flourishes with the sword as well as methodical slashes and strikes. This would imply that while the Kurgan is capable of much more skillful and gracefully fighting, he intentionally chooses a brute strength approach. Likely to draw amusement from the brutality and the fear and anguish of his victims. Miscellanious Information Highlander II: The Quickening In the final shooting draft of the Highlander II: The Quickening screenplay, it was revealed that the Kurgan was in fact originally sent from the planet Zeist to Earth by General Katana in order to hunt down Connor MacLeod and Ramirez before either of them could win "The Prize," and therefore return to Zeist. This would have explained why Kurgan was after Conner in the film. The scene was scheduled for filming, and actor Clancy Brown contacted about reprising his role in the sequel, but Brown was not willing to abide the rather extensive pre-production requirements (makeup, costuming) a second time, and declined. Highlander: The Series In Highlander: The Series, the Kurgan's death effectively kicked off the beginning of the Gathering. The Kurgan is mentioned in the episode "The Watchers". After Darius's death in Paris, in 1993, Duncan MacLeod returned to Seacouver to learn more about the Watchers, and the Hunters. His investigation led him to Joe Dawson, a Watcher, who had no alternative but to tell him who they were. To exemplify the Watchers' knowledge, Dawson showed Duncan his cousin Connor's, the Kurgan's, and his own personal databases. Among other Immortals listed as being slain by the Kurgan in this database were Ivan Trotski and Flavio Parocchi. In contrast to the Kurgan's background in the film continuity, the series portrays the Kurgan as being much younger, having received his immortality in 1453 (according to the screen display that Joe shows Duncan). According to Dawson, Connor MacLeod did the world "a big favor" by killing the Kurgan. In the Watcher Chronicles DVD supplements, it's also mentioned that from 1981 to 1985, the Kurgan was watched by future leader of the Hunters, James Horton. The Kurgan in the Game. The kurgan was one of the most powerful Immortals in the planet and killed his opponents like a savage. Here is a list of some of his known quickenings from the original movie, novelization, TV series and comic books. *The Bedouin, unknown (Novelization) *Ivan Trotski, 1472 (The Watchers) *The Mongal, 1535 (Novelization) *Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, 1541 (Highlander) *Flavio Parrochi, 1664 (Novelization/The Watchers) *Francisco, 1918 (Novelization) *Osta Vazilek, 1985 (Highlander) *Yung Dol Kim, 1985 (Highlander)*Note: Scene was deleted from the film. Only shown in picture clips. *Suda Kastagir, 1985 (Highlander) Kurgan Kurgan